Margaret Thatcher's leadership effectiveness analyzed through expectancy theory

Leadership Evaluation of Margaret Thatcher

Dubbed the \"Iron Lady\" of British politics by the Soviet Union press, Margaret Thatcher was active in public service for most of her adult life and served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) for more than 11 years, the only woman to hold this post and the longest-serving prime minister in British history. Although widely lauded at home and abroad for her efforts in improving the economy, modernizing UK public institutions, and eliminating gender inequalities in the British armed force and the larger British society, her political career was brought to an abrupt end in 1990 when she imposed on unpopular tax and was challenged by political opponents. This paper evaluates the effective of Ms. Thacher using expectancy theory and provides an example of how she might have improved upon her performance. In addition, a description concerning how several motivational techniques were used by Ms. Thatcher and how these motivational techniques affected followers is followed by a description concerning how power and influence were used to accomplish the organizational goals of the British government, including a discussion concerning whether these power and influence techniques were appropriate or inappropriate and a recommendation concerning how an additional power or influence technique could have been used by Ms. Thatcher to improve her leadership performance and the performance of another person. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the famous leader and her political career are presented in the paper\'s conclusion.

Review and Discussion

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of Margaret Thatcher using either expectancy theory

Developed by Vroom (1964), expectancy theory has been shown to be an effective strategy for better understanding motivation in a wide array of organizational settings due in part to its straightforward approach to understanding how and why people behave in a certain fashion (Hsu & Shinnar, 2014). For instance, according to Quick (1988), \"Expectancy theory is an admirably straightforward explanation of human behavior\" (p. 31). The main tenets of expectancy theory hold that behavior is influenced by two key variables: (1) the perceived value of the reward that some types of behavior are capable of producing; and (2) the expectation in the practitioner that certain behaviors will produce that reward (Quick, 1988). In sum, when determining the optimal course of action between several different alternatives, people tend to select the most valuable result or reward and then determine which types of behaviors will produce the desired outcome, hence the \"expectancy\" reference in the name of the theory (Quick, 1988).

When applied to Ms. Thatcher\'s political career, expectancy theory can provide some interesting insights. While it is reasonable to suggest that Ms. Thatcher could not predict that she would go on to become the first female prime minister in British history or go on to win three successive general elections, these unprecedented outcomes were the result of her wholehearted commitment to serving British citizens in some public service capacity. Indeed, during her 11-plus years as prime minister, Ms. Thatcher racked up a number of impressive successes, including improving the British economy, reshaping British politics and modernized outdated government institutions (Vlad, 2014).

Moreover, Ms. Thatcher was highly effective in her foreign policy initiatives, and became well known in the international community as a strong but thoughtful and honest politician who could be counted on to keep her word. In addition, Vlad (2014) emphasizes that, \"She challenged and did much to overturn the psychology of decline which had become rooted in Britain since the Second World War, pursuing national recovery with striking energy and determination\" (p. 600). In fact, Ms. Thatcher truly \"hit the ground running\" during her first term as prime minister, effecting meaningful changes the resulted in reduced government spending and controls as well as lowered taxes (Gschwandtner, 2014). A number of European heads of state also applauded Ms. Thatcher\'s efforts, with German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt reporting that he saw a \"spirit of decisiveness\" in her leadership and even the mainstream media in the UK praised her commitment to fulfilling the promises she made during her campaign for the prime minister position (Gschwandtner, 2014).

These successful outcomes were attributable in large part to Ms. Thatcher\'s indomitable belief that she knew what was best for her country, and this dedication served her well for her first two terms as prime minister. In other words, Ms. Thatcher\'s assertive behaviors produced the desired rewards for much of her political career in ways that were consistent with expectancy theory. Further, this pattern of thinking and behavior began early on in Ms. Thatcher\'s life. For example, her father served on a town council for a quarter century and a term as the mayor of Grantham, and both her parents had a profound impact on her later thinking as a politician. In this regard, Ms. Thatcher once reported, \"We were taught what was right and wrong in considerable detail. There were certain things you just didn\'t do and that was that. Duty was very, very strongly ingrained into us\" (as cited in Gschwandtner, 2014, para. 4).

Therefore, by identifying the rewards she sought throughout her career and taking steps to achieve them, Ms. Thatcher conformed to the tenets of expectancy theory for much of her political life. During her third term, however, and as discussed further below, Ms. Thatcher\'s assertive behaviors backfired on her, producing outcomes that were not only unexpected, but which spelled the end of her tenure as prime minister. It is possible that this outcome could have been avoided if Ms. Thatcher had employed alternative strategies to achieve her political goals, and these issues are discussed below.

a. Describe one example of how Ms. Thatcher might have improved upon her own performance.

Notwithstanding her significant accomplishments and successes to the contrary, many analysts agree that Ms. Thatcher\'s leadership style became inconsistent with the new status quo but she was unable or unwilling to accept the fact that the same behaviors that had propelled her to the top leadership position in the UK were no longer as appropriate or effective as they had been in the past. To her credit, the initiatives that she launched during her third term as prime minister were well intentioned, but the times had changed and she was unable to respond effectively to the growing opposition she faced. For instance, Decosterd (2013) emphasizes that, \"Thatcher would certainly be considered a positive assertiveness model in many ways. Much of her time in office was a clear illustration of assertive leadership. But Thatcher did have an assertiveness issue. She was assertive to a fault\" (p. 30).

While it may be tempting to blame these types of analyses on the fact that Ms. Thatcher was the most powerful female political leader in any Western democracy during this period and therefore ripe for chauvinistic criticisms based on her gender rather than her assertiveness, there is some truth in these observations that indicate Ms. Thatcher failed to read the handwriting on the wall and respond accordingly. As Decosterd (2013) points out, \"She seemed, over the course of her time in power, unable to balance out her style. Eventually, her assertive manner worked to her detriment. It became an overplayed strength\" (p. 30).

Moreover, Ms. Thatcher\'s assertive leadership style became the target of growing criticism, especially during her third term as prime minister, as she sought to impose her own solutions to complex problems that were characterized by a wide range of disparate interests that were not always taken into account. Even though she remained highly popular among many British citizens as well as in the international community (she had a close and warm relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, for example), it is clear that she could have improved her performance by focusing on building consensus and forging political allies at home, something she was adept at but refused to pursue during the latter part of her political career. As one analyst puts it:

Many leaders lauded Thatcher for her steely determination to modernize Britain\'s industrial landscape, even at the cost of strikes and riots, and to stand beside the United States as the West triumphed in the Cold War versus the Soviet Union. Others saw a pitiless tyrant who preferred conflict to compromise. (O\'Neil, 2013, p. A1)

Despite the accolades she received for her contributions to improving the British economy and other successes during her first two terms, her assertive leadership style and tactics became untenable by 1990 as the Cold War ended. In fact, even after her own defense minister resigned in 1986, Ms. Thatcher continued to use the same assertive leadership style and tactics that had contributed to this resignation in spite of the growing opposition to her political initiatives. In this regard, Decosterd reports that, \"While she was on the one hand praised for strengthening the British economy and for reshaping how Britain was perceived as a world power, opposition to her deemed stubborn style and tactics continued to mount\" (p. 31).

Many analysts cite the resignation of her defense minister as the beginning of the end of Ms. Thatcher\'s political career, and despite being reelected for a third term as prime minister in 1987, she was publically challenged by her own political party and was subsequently forced to resign in 1990 (Decosterd, 2013). It is possible, however, that this eventuality could have been avoided altogether if Ms. Thatcher had recognized that her leadership style and tactics were failing to produce the desired outcomes and taken steps to adapt. Indeed, being \"strong-willed\" is one thing, but stubbornly refusing to accept changes in reality is quite another. To her credit, though, Ms. Thatcher was highly effective at using various motivational techniques to help achieve her political goals and these issues are discussed further below.

2. Describe how three motivational techniques (e.g., recognition, praise, goal setting,

encouraging creativity, innovation) were used by the leader and how the techniques

affected followers

During her lengthy tenure as prime minister, Ms. Thatcher used a wide array of motivational techniques including recognition, goal setting and the encouragement of innovation to motivate the British people and fellow politicians. In this regard, Gschwandtner (2014) points out that, \"Throughout her term as prime minister she encouraged her fellow citizens to assume a greater share of individual responsibility and to treasure the gift of independence\" (para. 6). In addition, besides being a highly assertive leader, Ms. Thatcher was also a charismatic leader who communicated her beliefs in unambiguous but strongly worded terms, including the goals she expected her subordinates to achieve (Gschwandtner, 2014). For instance, Gschwandtner (2014) reports that, \"Margaret Thatcher\'s first cabinet meeting set the tone of how she expected her government to run: efficiently, effectively, where people work as a team and where all ministers were expected to play from the same sheet of music\" (para. 6).

These motivational techniques also served her well for much of her tenure as British prime minister but in at least one case had serious and unexpected repercussions on her career. For example, in an attempt to reduce labor costs, Ms. Thatcher failed to recognize that trade unions in the private and public sectors were not identical in their motivational orientations, resulting in backlashes that would return to haunt her during her final years in office (Constantine, 2008). It is possible, though, that Ms. Thatcher could have recognized these differences and the potential for her assertive leadership style to backfire during her final term as prime minister if she had actively solicited feedback from people who were in a position to recognize these constraints as discussed further below.

a. Recommend an additional feedback, coaching, or executive coaching technique that could have been used by the leader to improve performance.

Rather than remain tied to her assertive leadership style and tactics while brooking no dissent, it is possible that Ms. Thatcher could have avoided the untimely end of her political career by actively soliciting feedback from the people around her, including her opponents, concerning how best to proceed, something she was also unwilling or unable to do. Nevertheless, many analysts argue that the feedback process is an essential ingredient for leadership success. For instance, according to Baker and Perreault (2013), \"For most, feedback is used to provide information on proximal goals and immediate and recent behaviors. It is also utilized to inform members of desirable development and outcomes\" (p. 260).

Furthermore, by actively soliciting feedback concerning her behaviors and performance, the criticisms that were increasingly directed Ms. Thatcher might have been defused or even countered altogether. As Asumeng (2013) emphasizes, \"A manager who actively seeks feedback about his or her job performance is assumed to be more effective in his or her job than the one who does not\" (p. 374). This is not to say, of course, that merely seeking feedback from others concerning her behaviors and performance would have been enough to salvage her political career during her third term as prime minister (especially if she refused to act on this feedback), but it is to say that she was placed at a serious political disadvantage by failing to fully comprehend the growing opposition she faced or why.

3. Describe how power and influence were used to accomplish organizational goals.

One area in which Ms. Thatcher truly shined as a political leader was the manner in which she wielded power and influence, especially during the early part of her career. As a female, Ms. Thatcher was faced with some formidable challenges in her quest to advance in the British political ranks, including battling it out with members of her own political party. Moreover, when she assumed office as prime minister, she was regarded as an outsider by the British cabinet and political system which were both characterized by a consensual attitude (Boyson, 1999).

As noted above, Ms. Thatcher initially overcame these obstacles to her political goals through sheer force of will and a highly assertive leadership style. According to one analyst, \"She set a bold example of resolution, as she strode the world stage commanding respect and exercising influence out of all proportion to the U.K.\'s power and size. Her frank, personal diplomacy enhanced her and her country\'s influence\" (Thompson & Thompson, 1994, p. 22). As time passed and world events reshaped the geopolitical sphere, though, these same tactics were increasingly regarded as misguided, misplaced and counterproductive.

Even though politicians of any ilk will likely experience some degree of opposition, it is apparent that Ms. Thatcher\'s power and influence diminished as these criticisms increased. As Gschwandtner (2014) points out, \"In her own party her management style raised eyebrows since she replaced more ministers than any previous Prime Minister. It was no secret that she expected obedience in her ranks and it was only a question of time until her followers turned into rebels\" (para. 10). Not only did her follower \"turn into rebels,\" even her most ardent supporters would likely have reacted in the same way if they had known the full story concerning how she wielded power and influence on the world stage as discussed further below.

a. Describe how the power and influence techniques were either appropriate or inappropriate.

One especially appropriate use of Ms. Thatcher\'s power and influence was in eliminating gender disparities in the British armed forces and gender equality in British society (Segell, 2007). Despite this and her many other accomplishments at home, however, it is also important to note that Ms. Thatcher was not reluctant to wield her power and influence for highly inappropriate purposes, including placing a ban on milk exports to Vietnam where many children were malnourished, her defense of the bloodthirsty Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, as well as dispatching British military advisors to help train the Khmer Rouge, something she publicly denied but which was confirmed by Prime Minister John Major in 1991 (Pilger, 2013). Indeed, according to Pilger (2013), \"The corruption and inhumanity under Thatcher knew no borders\" (p. 54).

There were some other instances of inappropriate use of power and influence that helped hasten the end of Ms. Thatcher tenure as prime minister. While the goals she established during her third term in office were ambitious, many of these initiatives were highly unpopular. Even as criticisms from the British public and politicians increased, Ms. Thatcher refused to back down on any of them and continued to press for the reforms she believed were in the country\'s best interests. Three initiatives in particular were resented by many British citizens and politicians, with the first being the introduction of an unprecedented national curriculum to reform the British educational system in 1988, revised tax systems for local governments in 1989 and the implementation of a Community Charge or so-called \"poll tax\" as critics described it, a reference to a similar medieval tax in 1990 (Vlad, 2014). According to Vlad, \"All three measures were deeply controversial. The Community Charge, in particular, became a serious political problem, as local councils took advantage of the introduction of a new system in increase tax rates, blaming the increase of the Government\" (p. 601). In 1991, Prime Minister Major, recognizing the political heat this measure caused his predecessor, quickly did away with the Community Charge (Vlad, 2014).